COVID-19
breaking news & updates
|
|
|
"The clinical trials for all three vaccines demonstrated that they were 100 percent effective in preventing deaths from COVID-19. There is also growing evidence that all three vaccines help prevent asymptomatic illness, too. This means that people who have been vaccinated are not likely to spread of COVID-19 to others who are not vaccinated.
Excerpt of Statement From Bay Area Public Health Officers
|
|
|
Regular Booster Vaccines Are the Future in Battle With COVID-19 Virus, Top Genome Expert Says
Regular booster vaccines against the novel coronavirus will be needed because of mutations that make it more transmissible and better able to evade human immunity, the head of Britain’s effort to sequence the virus’s genomes told Reuters. The novel coronavirus, which has killed 2.65 million people globally since it emerged in China in late 2019, mutates around once every two weeks, slower than influenza or HIV, but enough to require tweaks to vaccines. Reuters Read more
|
|
|
CDC Study Finds 9 Out of 10 People in U.S. Who Got First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Went On to Get 2nd Dose
About nine out of 10 people in the U.S. who got the first shot of a coronavirus vaccine got the second in the two-dose series, according to a new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers and public health officials called the results "encouraging." The findings are part of the first federal study to look at how many people are completing the series in the ongoing effort to stem the pandemic through vaccination. The study followed 12.5 million people and focused on the period between Dec. 14 to Feb. 14. KTVU Read more
|
|
|
Some Long-Haul COVID-19 Patients Say Their Symptoms Are Subsiding After Getting Vaccines
Arianna Eisenberg endured long-haul COVID-19 for eight months, a recurring nightmare of soaking sweats, crushing fatigue, insomnia, brain fog and muscle pain. But Eisenberg’s tale has a happy ending that neither she nor current medical science can explain. Thirty-six hours after her second shot of coronavirus vaccine last month, her symptoms were gone, and they haven’t returned. “I really felt back to myself,” the 34-year-old Brooklyn therapist said, “to a way that I didn’t think was possible when I was really sick.” Washington Post Read more
|
|
|
Don't Freak Out About "Weird" COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects - They May Actually Be a Good Sign
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong wants people to stop worrying so much about the myriad reports of side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at UCSF and the director of the school’s immunocompromised host infectious diseases program, is concerned that people are paying too much attention to the side effects of the shot. These “weird” side effects may certainly sound worrisome. But none of them, he says, are a cause of concern. SF Gate Read more
|
|
|
This Small Country Is Way Ahead in The COVID-19 Vaccine Race
Chile is advancing a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 that is outpacing not only its Latin American neighbors but much of the world, putting the South American nation on course to become the first developing country to achieve herd immunity. More than 22% of Chile’s 19 million people have already received at least one dose. Wall Street Journal
|
|
What If You Had Your Choice of COVID-19 Vaccine? Differences Are Small, But They Do Exist
If you get the choice, which COVID-19 vaccine should you choose? For now, experts are clear: The best vaccine is the one about to go into your arm. But as the vaccine supply grows, Americans eventually might find someone asking, “Which vaccine do you want?” USA Today Read more
|
|
|
First Children Vaccinated in Moderna's Phase 2/3 Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine Trial
The first children have been vaccinated in Moderna's Phase 2/3 pediatric COVID-19 vaccine trial, the company announced Tuesday in a statement. The clinical trial, called the KidCOVE study, will enroll approximately 6,750 children in the US and Canada between the ages of 6 months and 11 years old. CNN Read more
|
|
Kids Will be The Last to Be Vaccinated - When Will it Be Safe to Go On Family Vacations?
More than a year into the pandemic, many families who have been stuck at home are itching to go on a vacation. But don’t pack your bags quite yet, experts say. While more adults are getting vaccinated against the coronavirus every day, children, particularly younger ones, are not expected to get the vaccine for months. NBC News Read more
|
|
|
Vaccine Resources
Food Pantries
|
|
|
Confirmed Cases
Bay Area: 415,406
California: 3,628,455
U.S.: 29,585,015
Alameda County
Vaccines Administered: 642,518
Cases: 82,168
Deaths: 1,330
Test Positivity: 1.5%
Hospitalized Patients: 125
ICU Beds Available: 106
Cases have decreased over the past two weeks and are unknown. The number of hospitalized COVID patients has also fallen in the Alameda County area. Deaths have remained at about the same level. The test positivity rate in Alameda County is relatively low, suggesting that test capacity is meeting current demand. NY Times
|
|
Reported Deaths
Bay Area: 5,670
California: 56,823
U.S.: 537,583
Contra Costa County
Vaccines Administered: 463,448
Cases: 64,280
Deaths: 725
Test Positivity: 2.3%
Hospitalized Patients: 47
ICU Beds Available: 34
Cases have decreased over the past two weeks and are unknown. The numbers of hospitalized COVID patients and deaths in the Contra Costa County area have also fallen. The test positivity rate in Contra Costa County is relatively low, suggesting that testing capacity is meeting current demand. NY Times
|
|
|
UK Coronavirus Variant Found in Contra Costa County
Laboratory results have revealed the first two known cases of the highly infectious U.K. variant in Contra Costa County, health officials announced on Tuesday. The B.1.117 variant, nicknamed the U.K. variant, because it is believed to have originated in the United Kingdom, is more contagious than others and possibly more deadly. The presence of the U.K. variants was discovered as part of laboratory surveillance work during the pandemic. KTVU Read more
|
|
|
San Mateo County Moving to Orange Tier, The First in The Bay Area to Get There Since Last Fall
San Mateo County advanced to the orange tier of California’s reopening system on Tuesday, making it the first Bay Area county to move into the second least restrictive bracket. The county plans to align with the state’s reopening guidelines, said spokesperson Preston Merchant. Counties in the orange tier can allow bars that do not serve food to reopen outside, and music and sports venues can resume outside operation with restrictions. SF Chronicle Read more
|
|
|
Solano County Opens Vaccinations to Anyone 50 or Older, a First For The Bay Area
Solano County began allowing individuals ages 50 and older to receive coronavirus vaccinations on Monday in an effort to fill appointment slots that were going unused, county officials said. Solano County health officials made the decision over the weekend to expand vaccine eligibility to people as young as 50 to fill available appointment slots, said Ted Selby, an administrator with Solano County Emergency Medical Services Agency. SF Chronicle Read more
|
|
|
San Jose Man in Hospital for Over 100 Days Fighting COVID-19 Now Training for Half Triathlon
Tom Butts is defying the odds again. The triathlete from San Jose almost lost his life to COVID-19. He spent more than 100 days in the hospital - most of it on a ventilator. Now, the 67-year-old is training for a half triathlon in September. Back in July, Butts was wheeled out of the hospital on a gurney. Weighing less than 100 pounds, the triathlete could barely utter a sentence. He said he had it handed to him by the coronavirus, but he continues to fight back and still wants to compete. NBC Bay Area Read more
|
|
|
UCSF Researchers Study How Sleep, Stress Could Impact Response to COVID Vaccine
It's possible the amount of sleep you're getting and the stress you're under could impact your COVID vaccine, meaning the strength and durability of the vaccine may have more to do with you, your body, and your lifestyle than you expected. UCSF professor of psychiatry, Elissa Epel, and a team of researchers are recruiting for a study to examine how stress, age, and sleep, affect the immune response with the COVID vaccine. ABC 7 News Read more
|
|
Bay Area Doctors Among Leading Voices of Fight Against COVID-19 |
|
|
Bay Area Has Recovered Less Than a Third of Lost Jobs, Full Rebound Years Away
The Bay Area economy, which only a year ago was perhaps the hottest in the United States, has now produced a feeble job market that could be two years away from healing its COVID-inflicted ailments. During a brutal two months in March and April of 2020, the Bay Area suffered a jobs catastrophe - yet has recovered fewer than one-third of the jobs that employers jettisoned due to government-ordered business shutdowns to battle the coronavirus. East Bay Times Read more
|
|
Alameda County Residents Enjoy Indoor Dining
A buzz returned to restaurants and downtown streets across Alameda County last Friday night as diners enjoyed an indoor meal for the first time in several months. The county recently moved into state’s less restrictive COVID-19 Red Tier status. Restaurants are now allowed to reopen their shuttered indoor dining rooms to 25 percent capacity. “It’s so nice to see everyone out, enjoying the indoor dining,” said Lisa Belcher who was out enjoying a meal in Pleasanton. KPIX 5 Read more
|
|
|
State/National/International News |
|
California Department of Public Health Launches "Let's Get to ImmUnity" Campaign to Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance
On March 17, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced a new public education campaign under its Vaccinate ALL 58 effort to ramp up the connections being made with Californians who have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and address questions and concerns they have with the vaccine. The "Let's Get to ImmUnity" integrated media campaign is one part of the state's Five Part Plan for Vaccination Equity. The goal is to offer answers and reassurance that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective and our greatest tool to end the pandemic and move all of our lives forward again. The campaign is part of a broader $40 million effort that includes radio, print, TV and billboards, with a focus on multicultural and multilingual media outlets. CDPH Read more
|
|
|
Even If Cases Again Rise, Epidemiologists Say, California's Immunization Strategy Is Working
The rapid decline in newly reported cases of COVID-19 has slowed in recent weeks. But that doesn't necessarily mean the state is again headed for the dark days of the winter, when deaths skyrocketed and patients filled up hospitals to the point where ambulances had to wait in line around the block to get coronavirus patients admitted.
|
|
|
Spring Break Crowds a Concern During Critical Moment in COVID-19 Fight
Pandemic or not, spring break is here. Florida's beaches and bars are already seeing the first throngs of college students on break, crowding beaches and bars - and worrying public health experts around the country who see the weeks of partying as a potential for another spike in coronavirus cases. The primary concern, experts say, is that partying is occurring at a crucial moment in the fight against the coronavirus: More vaccines are being administered each day, yet more cases of variants - which are highly transmissible - are being reported. Making matters worse, they say, is that students will be enjoying their break as more states relax restrictions they had in place, such as mask mandates. USA Today Read more
|
|
|
States Are Finding More Unreported COVID-19 Deaths
While COVID-19 deaths head lower, raising hopes that the U.S. is turning a corner as vaccinations continue, states around the country are steadily finding previously unreported deaths that are causing data confusion. The issues largely involve systems that states are using to try to report COVID-19 data in near real time, and not deaths reported more slowly through death certificates. These front-line numbers are the ones that fuel state dashboards and data trackers, like the closely watched one created by Johns Hopkins University, which help policy makers and the public closely monitor pandemic trends. Wall Street Journal Read more
|
|
|
Virus Variants Likely Evolved Inside People With Weak Immune Systems
The version of the coronavirus that surfaced in Britain late last year was shocking for many reasons. It came just as vaccines had offered a glimpse of the end of the pandemic, threatening to dash those hopes. It was far more contagious than earlier variants, leading to a swift increase in hospitalizations. And perhaps most surprising to scientists: It had amassed a large constellation of mutations seemingly overnight. Growing evidence suggests that people with cancer and other conditions that challenge their immune systems may be incubators of mutant viruses. NY Times Read more
|
|
|
How The Pandemic is Reshaping Education
The coronavirus pandemic upended almost every aspect of school at once. It was not just the move from classrooms to computer screens. It tested basic ideas about instruction, attendance, testing, funding, the role of technology and the human connections that hold it all together. A year later, a rethinking is underway, with a growing sense that some changes may last. Washington Post Read more
|
|
5 Lessons COVID-19 Has Taught Us For The Next Pandemic
The pandemic that launched the nation’s first and most ambitious experiment to slow the spread of COVID-19 - stay-home orders for 7.6 million Bay Area residents - is easing. It’s left behind shattered lives, economic upset and widened racial inequities, but also valuable lessons which could strengthen our future response to outbreaks of deadly contagion.
|
|
|
Duke University Under a Mandatory Schoolwide Quarantine Amid Frat Party-Linked Coronavirus Surge
In a typical year, mid-March is spring break season at Duke University. This, however, is 2021. Not only was the vernal holiday essentially canceled, but a recent outbreak of the coronavirus has forced students into what might be considered the antipode of a week spent partying on the beach: seven days in an administration-mandated quarantine, as officials scramble to curb fraternity party-fueled virus spread on campus. Washington Post Read more
|
|
When Will We Declare Victory Over COVID-19?
A year into the pandemic, infection rates are falling. Hospitals are quieter; morgues are emptier. Emboldened by vaccines, we’re dropping our masks and stepping closer. Slowly we’re reopening indoor dining, theaters, museums, and schools. Will we declare victory over COVID-19? No, say public health experts. But we’ll negotiate an uneasy truce. Rather than completely eliminating the virus, we can create a strict containment strategy, building public health bulwarks to help fend off an enemy that is wily, adaptive and enduring.
|
|
|
Red Cross Blood Donations Show Many Likely Had COVID But Didn’t Know It
In the first week of March, more than 20% of blood donations from unvaccinated people had COVID-19 antibodies, according to data shared with CNN by the American Red Cross.The American Red Cross notes that "a positive antibody test result does not confirm infection or immunity," but it may indicate whether a person has been exposed to the coronavirus, "regardless of whether an individual developed symptoms." CNN Read more
|
|
The Last Living Man of The Juma People in Brazil Has Died From COVID-19
Aruká Juma died on Feb. 17 in a hospital in Pôrto Velho, the capital of the Brazilian state of Rondônia. He was believed to have been between 86 and 90 years old. The cause was COVID-19, his grandson Puré Juma Uru Eu Wau Wau said. As the last fluent speaker of the tribe’s language, Mr. Juma’s death means that many of the tribe’s traditions and rituals will be forever lost.
|
|
|
Masks Are Not Going Away Anytime Soon
How to Store and Wash Them
Store your cloth mask properly and wash it regularly to keep it clean. Consider having more than one mask on hand so that you can easily replace a dirty mask with a clean one. Make sure to remove your mask correctly and wash your hands after touching a used mask. CDC Read more
|
|
|
- COVID-19 testing is a good idea, but keep in mind, people who test negative can still harbor the virus if they are early in their infection.
|
|
-
A viral test tells you if you have a current infection.
-
An antibody test might tell you if you had a past infection.
|
|
|
Over the last seven days, Alameda County officials have reported 595 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 36 cases per 100,000 residents. |
|
Over the last seven days, Contra Costa County officials have reported 636 new coronavirus cases, which amounts to 56 cases per 100,000 residents. |
|
|
Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Alameda County, as of 3/17/21
Oakland: 25,502
Hayward: 12,910
Fremont: 7,360
Eden MAC: 5,572
San Leandro: 5,073
Livermore: 4,071
Union City: 3,789
Berkeley: 3,374
Newark: 2,627
Castro Valley: 2,384
|
|
Top 10 Locations of Cases in
Contra Costa County, as of 3/17/21
Richmond: 9,764
Antioch: 8,896
Concord: 7,573
Pittsburg: 6,406
San Pablo: 4,987
Brentwood: 3,510
Oakley: 2,919
Bay Point: 2,626
Walnut Creek: 2,635
San Ramon: 1,913
|
|
|
Mask On!
Protect Yourself While Protecting Others
|
|
Working in collaboration with the Alameda County Public Health Department, the cities of Hayward and San Leandro, and the Castro Valley and Eden Area Municipal Advisory Councils, the District has printed "Mask On" posters for each city in the Eden Health District area. These posters are free of charge and intended for businesses, health clinics, schools, churches, public agencies and nonprofit agencies to display in their entrances. The posters are available in English, Spanish and Chinese languages.
The public is welcome to download and print or share "Mask On" posters from our website.
|
|
|
|
About Eden Health District |
|
The Eden Health District Board of Directors are chair Mariellen Faria, vice chair Pam Russo, secretary/treasurer Roxann Lewis, Gordon Galvan and Varsha Chauhan. The Chief Executive Officer is Mark Friedman.
The Eden Health District is committed to ensuring that policy makers and community members receive accurate and timely information to help make the best policy and personal choices to meet and overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
We welcome your feedback on our bulletin. Please contact editor Lisa Mahoney.
|
|
|
Follow Us on Social Media |
|
|
|
|
|
|
